


Our Promised Season

by paper_back_writer



Category: ONEUS (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Dreamsharing, M/M, No cheating, Not polyamory, Platonic Soulmates, Romantic Soulmates, Xido, good parents, it's just cute I honestly don't know how to tag this, not so good parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:22:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26579794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paper_back_writer/pseuds/paper_back_writer
Summary: "Before. When we dreamed of each other. It was just you and me, right?""Yeah?" Seoho couldn't see the problem. That was the way soulmate dreams worked. Just the two of them, bonded and alone, no one else in the world able to invade their perfect bubble.Leedo hmmed and nodded, then scrunched his nose and pointed behind Seoho. "Then who the hell is that?"Seoho and Leedo are platonic soulmates and everything couldn't be more perfect. Until they start dreaming again.
Relationships: Kim Geonhak | Leedo & Lee Seoho, Kim Geonhak | Leedo & Lee Seoho & Son Dongju | Xion, Kim Geonhak | Leedo/Son Dongju | Xion, Kim Youngjo | Ravn/Lee Seoho
Comments: 9
Kudos: 81
Collections: WEUS Harvest Moon Fest





	1. Chapter 1

When the dreams came, it was a nightmare. 

Not the dreams. They weren't nightmares. Just the opposite in fact. 

They started so slow, maybe once a week, Seoho didn't realize what was happening at first. He had never been one to remember his dreams much anyway so it wasn't surprising he didn't notice. Perhaps he should have realized something was unusual when he started waking up in the mornings feeling rested—a wide smile on his face, looking forward to the day—not like how he'd normally come to consciousness, bleary-eyed and having to drag himself from under the covers, cursing the daylight the entire time.

After a while, he started to remember snatches of the images that had put him in such a good mood—a low laugh that made his heart swell, a sweet smile that lingered in his memory, sustaining him through the day—but even then he didn't put two and two together. When he finally made the connection—that the laugh and the smile which put him in a good mood weren't random but always the same, how the dreams were crystal clear and brightly colored not like the usual hazy memories—the thought was like a bucket of iced water dousing him, a frigid shock of horror that somewhere, out there in the world, he had a soulmate.

Normally, people started getting "The Dreams" by the time they went to college, generally as that's when people were ready to start a serious relationship. There were outliers, of course. Some people who started getting them early on in high school, and the rare, disappointed few who had to wait until much later in life if their soulmate was much younger than them or if one soulmate wasn't ready or able to commit. Seoho had hoped that he would be one of the very few who simply wasn't destined to have the responsibility of being tied to another person, and after his 24th birthday came and went, he was starting to think he'd dodged a bullet. Clearly, he'd gotten his hopes up for nothing

"It's supposed to be a good thing," his mother said as she busied herself folding the laundry. He'd been roped into helping although he'd been holding one pair of socks in his hand for far too long to be any real assistance. "It is a good thing, sweetheart, I promise."

"I know," he murmured. He did know. Everything he'd ever heard about soulmates was positive. He wasn't even worried that his seemed to be a guy. Soulmates didn't have to be romantic even though he wasn't adverse to the idea of dating a guy. Soulmates were just...compatible. A person who could really see you, really understand your heart without having to explain how you were feeling. Someone who would always have your back. A life partner in whichever way you needed. His mother had married hers, his sister too, so they had a hard time understanding the dread that Seoho had of finding out he had a soulmate.

He hadn't mentioned the dreams to his mother at first but it was kind of hard to hide anything from her for long. After nagging him about his horrible mood for a week, she had finally bullied him into telling her what was upsetting him. Mostly, he caved purely in the hope that it would get him out of helping with the chores. He hated folding laundry.

"I don't have to meet them though, do I?"

"No. But you probably will whether you want to or not. That's kind of how this works."

"Maybe I should just lock myself in my room for the foreseeable future in that case."

The shirt that had been half-folded in his mother's hands, flapped out and smacked him on the head, messing up his hair. "Don't be an idiot. It'll be fine."

"But—but what if he doesn't like me? I just think he could do better. What if I'm a—a disappointment?" That was the heart of it. Something he hadn't even really admitted to himself before. His fear of not quite being good enough.

"It's not going to happen like that." His mother's voice was soft as she laid a gentle hand on his. "I promise, it's not going to be like that, okay?"

***

_ "Are you all right?" _

_ The question shouldn't have startled him so much but it seemed out of place. He was dreaming, that much was evident given the way the sky was so shockingly blue and the grass looked so emerald green he could imagine cutting himself on each sparkling blade. _

_ They were lying in the grass next to each other, hands behind their heads as they looked up at the cotton candy clouds drifting by. Not so unusual for one of these dreams. Other people talked about their soulmate dreams as something dramatic or adventurous but Seoho's were oddly domestic most of the time. Pushing a trolley around a supermarket discussing what to have for dinner, talking quietly on a bench by the river, driving somewhere singing along to the radio and laughing. Just the two of them, as if no one else existed. _

_ They were always communicating somehow, even if it was in comfortable silence but for some reason this was the first time it had felt as if his soulmate was actually talking to him in that moment, rather than just his subconscious playing at being together. _

_ Seoho turned his head and tried not to sound too surprised. "Yeah. I guess so. Are you okay?" _

_ His soulmate only hummed and looked back up at the sky, his profile just as unbelievably beautiful as the rest of the scene. "Yeah. I just thought earlier today…" _

_ "What?" _

_ The guy shrugged. "I don't know. I felt really down for no reason. I thought maybe it was you." _

_ "Oh." Seoho looked away, swallowing hard and wondered if he cried in his dream whether he would wake up with a damp pillow. "Sorry." _

_ "No, that's—" His soulmate sighed and bumped his arm with his elbow. "That's not what I meant. You have nothing to be sorry for. I just wanted to make sure you're alright." _

_ "Yeah, I…" Seoho held his breath for a second before finding his courage. It was only a dream after all. "I'm nervous. Worried. About meeting you." _

_ His soulmate laughed but it sounded like relief. "Thank god it's not just me." _

_ "You're worried about meeting me? Why?" Seoho could hardly believe it. _

_ "I don't know. I suppose…well, I get quiet around new people. And I kinda look..." _

_ "Weird?" He got a poke to the ribs for that and he laughed even though the touch was imagined.  _

_ "Angry," his soulmate finished. "Intimidating. I don't want to scare you away." _

_ "I'm really clumsy." Seoho confessed with the same tone that he might admit to murder. "And I try to be funny but sometimes it just pisses people off." _

_ "It won't piss me off." The confidence in his soulmate's voice had Seoho turning to look at him. He looked just as determined and Seoho wondered if the guy was really so handsome in real life being that he looked as unearthly as the azure sky and the gemstone lawns. "We're supposed to be together so I know you won't piss me off." _

_ Seoho could only hum his agreement, not trusting himself not to argue the point if he opened his mouth. It was a good thing too as his soulmate added, quietly, "I guess we'll know soon enough anyway." _

_ "What do you mean?" _

_ "I'm moving next week. A job opportunity came up and I got it. I'm guessing it'll only bring me closer to you." _

_ The idea of finally meeting him had Seoho's stomach turning over, although he couldn't tell if it was good or bad. Either way, he thought he heard his alarm calling him awake and felt a tug of consciousness that started him panicking. "I don't even know your name," he blurted out as he sat up, the vision in his head getting blurry around the edges no matter how hard he tried to hold onto it.  _

_ His soulmate's smile was sharp as ever though as he looked up at him from the ground with a fond expression in his eyes as the rest of the scene melted away. "See you soon, hyung. And don't worry, okay? It won't be long now." _

***

'Not long' ended up being four weeks. The longest four weeks of Seoho's life. He spent practically every waking moment vibrating out of his skin with anticipation and dread in equal parts. He hoped that he would've at least been able to talk to his soulmate again in his dreams but it appeared that their conversation had been a one-off. He still dreamed about him with increasing frequency but the visions played out as if neither of them had any control and it didn't even cross his mind to start a different sort of conversation until he had woken up. There were a couple of times during the days when he felt suddenly anxious or happy that he thought might have been some sort of soul connection, but being that his insides were an emotional soup, he couldn't be sure where his feelings were coming from.

Mostly he tried to distract himself. Which meant binge watching a couple of shows when it was too early to sleep and taking on a few extra shifts at work to fill his days when he had nothing to do. He was lucky he liked his job.

He'd studied phys ed and business in college, getting good enough grades that after he graduated, the sports centre where he'd worked part-time in his final year didn't hesitate to offer him a permanent position. He spent some of his hours on reception and helping out in the office but also helped the soccer coaches and assisted the gymnastic classes. Personal training was not on his regular rota, mostly as he didn't love the gym like some of the other guys but he'd fill in where needed and had a good time regardless. The other staff were nice to be around and he liked the higher ups who made them work hard but paid them enough to feel alright about it.

He had just arrived to cover an early shift for someone and was in the process of tidying the front desk and getting ready to settle down to some paperwork when he spotted his co-worker leaning over the counter, winking and grinning.

"You got something in your eye?"

"Nope." Wyatt grinned wider. "but I think you might be getting something"

Seoho stood up and sighed. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"That guy has been staring at you for the last five minutes. I figure he either wants to kiss you or you ran over his dog. He can't seem to decide whether he's scared or gonna beat you to death. Either way, you might want to do something about it."

Frowning, Seoho turned, not knowing exactly what to expect. But as soon as he caught sight of the figure lingering at the door to the changing rooms, his stomach dropped away and he felt as if he couldn't quite catch his breath. 

Wyatt was right. The guy's expression couldn't seem to settle although his body was tense as if he was ready to lash out as he shifted his weight between his feet. But there was no mistaking the guy from his dreams. His soulmate. A little paler, with his dark hair all out of place as if he'd just showered. He was taller than Seoho remembered, and although he was lean, he had wide shoulders that gave an impression of strength. It was a lot to take in and before he even realized what he was doing, Seoho found himself stepping around the counter and walking right up in front of him.

"Hi." It was probably the least interesting thing he could have said but it was all that came to mind in the moment.

His soulmate didn't seem to mind much, even though he struggled to smile back as he replied with a simple, "Hi."

The guy's voice was deep and it was hard to recall if Seoho had dreamed it that way too, especially when the guy stepped closer still. Seoho held his breath as the guy moved in, raising his arms as if he was going to hug him. 

To Seoho's surprise, he didn't feel like moving away. He wasn't one for PDA or unsolicited touching from…well, anyone. But this didn't feel like that. In fact, he leaned in, curling his arms around the guy's back and holding him tightly. The feeling of rightness only increased as he spread his palms over the guy's firm back and he was held in a warm embrace that he'd never experienced before. When they both sighed in relief and relaxed, holding tighter still, it almost brought tears to his eyes.

"I thought this would be more awkward," the guy mumbled into his shoulder, and Seoho couldn't help but chuckle. 

"Give it a minute," he answered, not really wanting to let go. "I'm sure someone will cat-call us any second and make it plenty awkward." His soulmate huffed out a laugh and they seemingly knew it was time to step back, although their touch lingered as they slid out of each other's arms. He was glad to see a bit more color in the guy's cheeks when they did, as well as a more relaxed set to his shoulders although Seoho immediately missed the warmth of the guy's comforting chest against his. 

"Kim Leedo," the guy said, holding out his hand.

"Lee Seoho." They shook, their touch lingering a little longer than necessary as they stared at each other. It felt odd to be so formal after the hug but mostly Seoho was relieved to have a name to put to the face. "You could have come over, y'know."

Leedo looked away, still seemingly nervous. "Ah, I just—you looked busy and—well, you know I was worried about what to say."

A grin spread over Seoho's face. "I can't believe you're here. We should—" He stopped mid-sentence, forgetting for a second in the excitement of meeting his soulmate where he was and why he was there. "Ah, crap. I'm just starting work." He glanced about seeing if he could catch sight of any staff members. "Maybe I can find someone to cover for me."

Leedo shook his head. "No, I have to get to work too. Damn, I can't believe it. Although I guess I could call in sick."

"No," Seoho brushed his hand against Leedo's arm. "You only just started this job. We've waited this long, a few more hours won't hurt. We can meet up later?"

"Yeah, yes," Leedo said hurriedly as he pulled his phone from the pocket of his sweatpants, unlocked it and handed it to Seoho. "I finish at five today."

"I'll be done here by then." Seoho quickly put in his number then sent a text to himself to make sure. "I could meet you at your place? I'm guessing you live near here?"

Leedo shook his head. "I'm crashing on a friend's couch. It might be a bit…y'know. How about I come to you?"

The idea of Leedo showing up to find his parents waiting to interrogate them seemed like a really bad idea. "I'm living with my parents right now so that would be just as awkward as meeting at yours. There's a great pizza place not far from here. How about I text the directions and meet you there? It's not usually too crowded so we could grab some dinner and talk?"

Leedo gave him a shy smile as he handed the phone back. "Yeah, that—that sounds good." It really did, and the two of them smiled stupidly at each other until the front door opened and a couple of chatty women sauntered in, breaking the spell. Leedo sighed and picked up his gym bag from the floor. "I guess I should get going."

"Yeah. I guess so." 

They both laughed when neither of them made a move, then they hugged quickly again, holding each other tightly, before Leedo slapped him on the shoulder, nodded and hurried away. 

Seoho walked back behind the desk in a daze.

"I'm guessing that was a friend of yours?" Wyatt said, sounding slightly amused.

"Not exactly."

"A guy that good looking, you should have brought him around here before."

"That would have been difficult," Seoho said with a smile. "I never met him before today." He chuckled when Wyatt looked confused, and gestured to the door. "My soulmate. He's my soulmate. That was the first time we met."

"Holy shit." Wyatt's voice was a reverent whisper. "Congrats, man. Seriously. I've never seen a first meeting before. You guys looked so happy."

"Yeah." Seoho nodded, unable to wipe the smile off his face. "Yeah, I think we are." 

***

Seoho was so twitchy at work, nervous and distracted, that his manager sent him home early after the third time he'd screwed up before he caused any more damage. Not that he minded. He was running out of things to drop, spill, or trip over so he was glad to get away, even if it meant trying to kill time until 6pm rolled around.

As soon as he stepped back in the house, his skin started to itch with frustration, so he dumped his bags and headed out for a run. It wasn't his favorite activity but it was the best way he knew to burn off any excess energy. He was worried about getting nervous and acting stupid around Leedo like he always managed to do with new people so he figured being a little tired wouldn't hurt. 

The shower he took when he got home was long and hot, leaving him sweet smelling and a little dizzy. Lying on his bed he thought he might drift off for a while but in the end just contemplated the barely discernible watermark on the ceiling until he figured he should do something about his hair and get dressed. Which only made him panic as he suddenly had no idea what to wear. Normally he would have put on shorts and whatever was clean but he wanted to make a good impression. Not that this was a date, exactly. Or was it?

He was halfway through calling his friend Keonhee for advice before he figured that would be a bad idea. It took almost no imagination to know that seconds after he'd explained himself, the man would be braying with laughter down the phone, so Seoho thought better of it and just calmed his poodle hair as best he could and put on a pair of decent blue jeans and the black shirt his sister had bought him. 

The weather was good and he arrived a little early thinking he wouldn't mind the wait, but it seemed Leedo had a similar idea so it wasn't long before Seoho looked up and found his soulmate walking towards him. The sight made him have to catch his breath. For a second, he wondered if he was dreaming again, the evening light casting a warm glow over everything making the man look otherworldly. Except there were so many people around, Seoho knew that couldn't be true. 

Leedo looked so good, his wide shoulders fitting a pale shirt beneath a light blue sports jacket and dark jeans which were ripped at the knees. He strode forward with confidence and a fluidity that made Seoho both inspired and jealous. For a moment, all the crushing insecurity that had made him pray that he didn't have a soulmate to disappoint came rushing back and it took everything he had to smother it long enough to break out a smile and a happy, "You found the place okay?"

Leedo nodded curtly, seemingly just as nervous as Seoho. "Google Maps," he said, barely able to make eye contact. "You been waiting long?"

"No. Just got here." Seoho shook his head. "You hungry?"

"Starved."

Seoho led him inside and they found a table. Browsing the menu and ordering was stilted and awkward. They were fundamentally strangers after all but it didn't take too long for both of them to relax and start idly chatting, spilling out personal information as pizza and beer went in.

"I don't know how you do it," Seoho mused, shaking his head and popping a crust into his mouth. "I think I'd go crazy after the first day."

Leedo shrugged and sipped from his bottle. "No, it's cool. You've just got to know how to keep calm and be assertive."

"Still. Fifteen 8-year-olds to deal with all day long. I'm not sure I can manage two. Maybe if they were my own, but other peoples kids? I don't know."

The smile he got was indulgent and sweet. "You want kids, then?" Leedo asked, flustering them both. "Shit," he said, sitting up and pushing away his beer. "Sorry, I didn't mean it to sound…crap, sorry."

"It's fine," Seoho said laughing. "Yeah, I guess I do. I'm guessing you do too."

Leedo nodded shyly. "They're just so cute, y'know?" 

"They don't stay cute forever." 

"I know." Leedo sounded annoyed but Seoho could tell he was smiling behind the gruff expression even before his frown smoothed out and he cleared his throat. "I just didn't want you to think…"

"What?"

The way Leedo tipped his head and shrugged as he poked at a slice of pizza on his plate as a distraction was kind of adorable. "I don't know. I just—you're really attractive and, god, I really like you but I'm just not sure…"

"You want to have my babies?" 

Seoho was hoping the joke would break the tension and it did the trick. Leedo chuckled and his ears got a little red. "Yeah." He glanced up. "Are we on the same page about that?"

"Yeah." Seoho nodded enthusiastically. "Not that I wouldn't have been okay with something more but I just—"

"Don't feel it?"

Seoho grinned. "Both accurate and an appropriate euphemism." When one of Leedo's pizza crusts hit him in the chest, they both froze for a second before blurting out laughing.

"Maybe that's why it took so long," Seoho wondered after a while. Leedo's questioning look had him adding, "Being platonic. I thought you'd be much younger but you're only a year younger than me."

"I hadn't thought of that. To be honest, I was in no hurry."

"Me neither," Seoho confessed. "Sometimes I wondered if I wouldn't be better off not having a soulmate at all."

He must have looked as sad and regretful as he felt as suddenly Leedo was taking hold of his hand and lacing their fingers together. "All that matters is that we're together now though, right?," Leedo said, ducking his head to catch Seoho's eye.

"Yeah." Seoho squeezed his hand tight and got a sweet smile in reply. "Yeah, I guess it does."

***

"Well?"

Seoho paused in the doorway. He hadn't even gotten the whole way in but the fact that his parents were waiting for him in the hallway, standing weirdly still and full of expectation like something out of a horror movie, took him by surprise. "How did it go?"

"It was—fine." He shrugged off his coat and hung it up, unsure of why he felt so reluctant to talk about his date. Not that it was really a date. But then maybe that was the problem.

"Just fine?" There was something in his mother's expression that he hated to disappoint but he had to be honest.

"Better than fine," Seoho said, unable to stop the wide smile from taking over his face. "I mean, he's great. Really great. Quiet at first but then we really started talking and it was…we have a lot in common, but the stuff that's different is interesting and it's just easy with him. I invited him to dinner tomorrow, if that's alright? He doesn't really know anyone here yet so—"

"Yes! Yes, of course," his mother squealed in delight, clapping her hands together. "We can cook something special. What does he like?"

Seoho sighed, already composing a text message warning Leedo about the interrogation he'd be facing. "Chicken would be good. He likes chicken."

"Ooo, yes. Let me just go check to see if we need to get anything from the store…" His mother ran off muttering to the kitchen. Seoho was glad to be left alone with his father. He needed the man's calm energy.

"How was it really?" His father asked quietly as he led them off to the sitting room.

"It was great."

"But?"

Seoho sighed as he flopped onto the couch. "I think Mom thinks this is going to be some grand romance like you and her."

"But it's not?" His father frowned.

"No. I mean, I've never felt like this about anyone. It took us about twenty minutes to say goodbye." Seoho smiled again, even though he was still fighting the urge to run over to where Leedo was staying just to be close to him. "I'm just not sure it's romantic, exactly."

"Are you disappointed?"

Seoho didn't even have to think about it. "No. No, we're good together. I think it's going to be great. I'm just worried about disappointing Mom."

His father smiled fondly. "She just wants you to be happy. And he'll make you happy. Complete. That's all we want for you."

Seoho nodded and smiled, and as much as he was happy and relieved, the little voice at the back of his head that said he wasn't 'complete' wouldn't go away.

***

It should have been a bit of a shock to the system, going from spending most of his free time alone to finding every available moment to spend with Leedo, but it was surprisingly natural. They mostly liked the same things and fell naturally into blending into each other's lives. Leedo's place wasn't that far away and with a slight change to his route, he and Seoho started to run together, talking and laughing the whole time. Seoho even managed to get over his aversion to the gym, even though Leedo made fun of his grumbling while they worked out. They spent long hours playing games on Seoho's old console, falling asleep curled into each other on his bed. Even when Leedo had to prepare work for school, Seoho would sit on the couch, his feet tucked under Leedo's thigh, alternately reading and chuckling at Leedo's serious face.

They didn't really spend any time at the place where Leedo was staying. One experience of the glare coming from Leedo's friend, Elliott, had Seoho wondering why they were friends in the first place. When Seoho felt they were getting under his parents' feet too much, he would meet Leedo at a small coffee shop near Leedo's school after he finished work. They never seemed to run out of things to say to each other and it always felt like such a relief to be near each other after a long day apart. At least, it usually did.

Seoho was huddled over a cup of coffee, the steam rising up and fogging his glasses as he watched Leedo pacing outside. He'd been on the phone as he'd arrived, only giving a small wave when he saw Seoho through the window, before he turned away, clearly unable to end the call right away. Even if Seoho couldn't feel the waves of unhappiness coming from him, it was pretty obvious that it wasn't a fun conversation. Maybe if Leedo's voice had been higher pitched, Seoho might have been able to hear it through the glass, but all he was getting was a muted rumble as Leedo gestured and paced. It was a relief when he finally hung up and made for the door. Seoho was about ready to go out there and launch Leedo's cell phone into the river if it had gone on much longer.

Leedo didn't say anything as he stripped off his outer layer and sat down. He didn't need to. The way he threw down his coat and bag said it all.

"Bad day?" Seoho asked, sliding over the green tea he'd bought when he'd arrived.

"My day was fine." Leedo grumbled, taking the mug in one hand as he scrubbed at his eyes with the other. "My parents on the other hand…"

Seoho wasn't sure what to say. Ludo didn't talk about his parents much. He'd been happy enough to give the basics—their jobs, where they lived etc—to Seoho's parents when they had asked about them over dinner but he never really seemed to talk about them much. Or at least not in the way that Seoho talked about his. They had always gotten along alright and even though some of his friends thought it was odd that he'd decided to move back home after college, it didn't feel like a hardship and meant that he was able to save most of his wages so he could get his own place soon enough. 

So it didn't exactly feel odd that Leedo didn't appear in too much of a hurry to introduce Seoho to his parents or that they weren't rushing over to meet his newly found soulmate.

"Sorry," Leedo said, eventually." I shouldn't let them get to me like this."

"You want to talk about it?"

"No. Yes." Leedo sighed. "I don't want to burden you with my problems, though. There's nothing much either of us can do about it."

"Okay, but just so long as you know, the first glimpse of any problems in my life I will not be hesitating to off load it all onto you at the first opportunity." The outlandish statement got the smile Seoho was hoping for. "Thats what soulmates are for, right?"

"I guess so."

"Alright? Seoho leaned back in his chair. "You wanna lay with your head in my lap or- "

"They want me to move back home."

"What?" Seoho sat forward again so quickly he almost spilled his coffee. "Why?"

"Because—it's complicated."

"You did tell them about me right? And they know you have a job here?"

Leedo smiled, looking a little tired as he nodded. "They know."

"I mean, they don't live that far away. Why can't they visit?"

Leedo turned his cup around a couple of times before he wrapped his hands around it and

replying, "They think it's a mistake. That I've made a mistake?" When all Seoho could do

was stare at him in a stupor, Leedo sighed again. "They've been talking to Elliott."

Seoho frowned. "Your roommate? What does he have to do with this?"

"He's not really a friend exactly. His parents are friends with my parents and when I needed a place to stay at such short notice, they put us in touch. I'd only met him a couple of times before that."

"Okay," Seoho said slowly. "That explains precisely nothing."

"I think..." Leedo paused, looking a little embarrassed. "I think he thought that if we

spent some time together..."

"Oh my god." Seoho didn't mean to laugh but a chuckle bubbled out of him before he could cover his mouth. "Oh my god, does he have the hots for you? I mean, who wouldn't—"

"You don't." Leedo was smiling even though his tone was accusing.

"No, but you're my soulmate. Oh my god, is that why he's been such a jerk to me?"

Leedo paused before nodding." I think he's under the impression that you ruined his plans."

"What and he thinks if he can get rid of me he'll have a shot with you?"

Leedo laughed. "No. I think he just wants to be a prick because I turned him down."

"I still don't see what this has to do with your parents."

"Ah." Leedo tipped his head to one side and sucked in a breath. "He took it upon himself to have a chat with them about us."

"Us," Seoho repeated. Then said it again, gesturing over the table back and forth between them. "Us, us?"

"Do you see anybody else here?"

"What did he say?"

"Oh, just a bunch of crap."

"Leedo."

"Really, it doesn't matter—"

"Kim Singmi, don't make me come over there?

Leedo raised his eyebrows at Seoho using his nickname in public but answered anyway, if not a little reluctantly

"Apparently he did rather a good job of convincing them that we're not soulmates at all, that you've conned me into being with you and I need to be saved from your clutches."

For a moment, all Seoho could do was to sit in shocked silence. Eventually, Leedo's cool composure cracked and he started to look worried. 

Seeho took pity on him and, sighing dramatically, shook his head.

"I've never had anyone in my clutches before. I didn't even know I had clutches. Wait a minute... how come you're in my clutches? How come I'm not in yours?"

The worried look fell away from Leedo's face, replaced instead with fond exasperation. "I feel like you're kinda missing the point?

"You should know by now that's never going to be entirely accurate."

Leedo laughed. "Whatever. The point is they're going to be a pain in the ass about this and

there's not much I can do about it other than wait until they come to their senses?

"I suppose." There wasn't more to say about it. But after a few seconds, when all Seoho could do was fiddle with the handle of his coffee mug, he did think of something. "You can't stay there." Leedo didn't respond at first, too distracted by looking out the window and whatever thoughts were swimming around in his head. When he did finally look over, Seoho repeated himself. "You can't stay with Elliott. Not after this."

"Not like I have much choice," Leedo grumbled. "I looked for somewhere to rent when I got this job. It's either too much on my salary or somewhere I wouldn't let a dog live."

Seoho didn't even have to think about it.

"We could get somewhere. Together."

Leedo blinked in surprise. "Together."

"I know it's soon." Seoho curled in on himself, half-wishing he could take it back. "I know we don't really know each other yet but we're soulmates, right? So that has to count for something. I figure out of everyone, you'd be the one who could put up with me. I'm only living with my parents to save money, which I have done. Quite a lot actually. Enough to—" he had to stop himself, feeling as if he'd gone too far already.

"Enough to what?" Leedo asked quietly.

Seoho shrugged. "Enough to maybe buy somewhere. I don't mean outright! I don't earn that much but I probably have enough for deposit. I don't know. That sounds a bit—"

"I have some money saved," Leedo butted in. "Not much. My grandmother left me some money and I save as much as I can. So I could help."

Seoho couldn't help his surprise. "You really want to do that? With me?"

Leedo shrugged. "Why not? Like you said, we're soulmates, right?"

"Might shut your parents up too."

Leedo laughed. "Not likely. Might make it worse for a while."

"They'll come around eventually."

"Maybe." Leedo rubbed at his temple then smiled. "So. You wanna go house-hunting this weekend?"

Seoho smiled back. "Yeah. Yeah, I kinda do."

***

It took surprisingly little time to find somewhere. One of Leedo's co-workers suggested a friend who was a realtor as someone who could help and after only a couple of weeks of looking, they found a small place in a reasonably nice part of town. It had a small garden and although Seoho's parents questioned the need for a third bedroom, it felt right. They seemed sorry to see him move out but not as sorry as Leedo's parents were about his decision to stay. There was no big confrontation but it still hurt Leedo deeply that they couldn't simply be happy for him.

"Do you think we've rushed into things?"

Leedo's chopsticks stopped halfway between the takeout carton and his mouth, the noodles swaying dramatically as he looked over to where Seoho was sitting across from him on the floor. "I'd say you were a little late bringing it up if we are," Leedo said slowly, his eyes flicking around the sparse room littered with half emptied packing crates, crumpled newspaper and bubble wrap. The bank had been kind and the people who had owned the place before them had been even kinder, so they'd become the proud owners of their own place a lot sooner than either of them had thought possible.

The furniture hadn't arrived yet and they only had one saucepan but the place already felt like home. It was going to take a while to get everything the way they wanted it, not least as they both had to work full time. But it felt as if there was no hurry. In fact, Seoho couldn't quite shift the feeling that there was no rush at all to finalize anything.

"I don't know what I mean," Seoho said. "Just ignore me."

The way that Leedo carefully put down his food told him that wasn't about to happen. The pause that came before Leedo actually spoke made Seoho think that perhaps he was having doubts too. Not that Seoho really doubted that they should be together, it was just that sometimes...

"You know I can't do that. And I think you do know what you mean."

"Do I?"

"You don't think that I might feel it too?"

It was hard to catch his breath for a second. "What do you feel?" The question was barely more than a whisper but it was all Seoho could manage in the moment. 

The reply, when it came, was just as soft. "Like...it's a bit...like we're waiting."

"What are we waiting for?"

"I…" Leedo shook his head. "I don't know."

"You think it's because we're… platonic?"

Leedo huffed out a laugh. "Do I look like an expert to you?"

"I don't know," Seoho said through a chuckle. "What does an expert look like?"

"Not you, that's for sure."

The tussle that followed started with Seoho throwing a cheese ball and ended with Leedo stuffing rice down the back of his shirt, them both breathless from laughing, but it managed to break the building tension that acknowledging their feelings had started.

Later, when they were lying on the one bed they had, trying to fall asleep—Seoho pretending that Leedo's snoring didn't bother him and Leedo being courteous enough to return the favor when it came to Seoho talking in his sleep—Leedo seemed relaxed enough to bring it up again.

"You think we should talk to someone?" 

Seoho frowned. "What? Like couples' counseling? Why?"

"I don't know." Leedo shrugged and sighed. "Maybe there's something wrong with our bond?"

It took only a second to dismiss that in his mind. "No. I don't think that's it."

"What then?"

"Do I look like an expert to you?" Seoho said with a smile. Except, even in the dark, he could tell that Leedo wasn't finding it funny anymore. "I don't think there's anything wrong. I just think… like you said. We're waiting."

"How long do you think we'll have to wait?"

Seoho didn't know. At least not until he closed his eyes. 

Because that was when the dreams started.


	2. Chapter 2

_He didn't notice at first. Nothing really seemed out of place. He and Leedo were sitting on a bench in the park near the school where Leedo worked. It was becoming a habit on his days off to grab a couple of hot drinks and head over there around lunchtime. They never had a long time to spend together but Leedo would take his short break drinking the tea Seoho brought him along with a sandwich, talking in between hurried bites._

_Seoho wasn't sure which one of them noticed first that the sun was so bright it should have hurt their eyes but didn't. Or that the sky was cloudless even though the forecast had been for rain. Or that the trees were in their full summer leaf in the middle of October. But Leedo was mid-sentence when he suddenly stopped and looked around._

_"This is—"_

_"Weird," Seoho finished. It was. The dreams had stopped when they had met each other. Or at least, he had assumed they had. Seoho never remembered any, at least, and Leedo had never mentioned them._

_"We're dreaming, right?"_

_Seoho laughed. "I think it's fairly obvious." The way the Leedo's brow was furrowed had his amusement turning to concern. "What is it?"_

_"Well," Leedo licked his lips, staring distractedly over Seoho's shoulder. "Before. When we dreamed of each other. It was just you and me, right?"_

_"Yeah?" Seoho couldn't see the problem. That was the way soulmate dreams worked. Just the two of them, bonded and alone, no one else in the world able to invade their perfect bubble._

_Leedo hmmed and nodded, then scrunched his nose and pointed behind Seoho. "Then who the hell is that?"_

_If Seoho had been awake he might have broken his neck with how quickly he turned around;and then broken his jaw with how hard his mouth flopped open. Because Leedo wasn't lying. Someone was there, walking toward them. The guy looked to be younger than them, slender and smiling. His eyes shone with happiness and Seoho couldn't help thinking that, in much the same way that Leedo was handsome, this guy was beautiful. More than that though, he felt such a strong sense of belonging as the guy approached that he wanted to preserve the moment and take it with him always._

_He didn't get the chance to savor the feeling for long though as the smile turned into a pout as soon as the guy reached the bench. "You're late. Where have you been? I looked everywhere."_

_Instinctively, when he turned around, Leedo and Seoho slid apart making a space for the newcomer, who slipped into the spot as if done it a thousand times before. His hand was soft and warm when he took Seoho's before he leaned over to pillow his head on Leedo's shoulder._

_Leedo looked taken aback but clearly pleased when he looked over at Seoho. Seoho didn't have an answer to the question in Leedo's eyes and could only shrug._

_"Sorry," Leedo said, after clearing his throat. "We were waiting here."_

_"I'm sick of waiting." The guy sounded like he meant it, tired and somehow unhappy even though Seoho wasn't sure how he knew that being he just met him. "Sick of everything. I need a change."_

_Leedo raised his eyebrows as Seoho stammered, "Change can be good. Change can be really good."_

_"You think so?" The guy looked up at him with his big brown eyes and Seoho couldn't stop himself from poking him in his chubby cheek._

_"Yes. Definitely."_

_The guy giggled and squeezed his hand tighter. "Okay then. I trust you. Just don't wander off again, okay?"_

_"We won't," Leedo said, pulling his arm up and managing to lay it along the back of the bench, gripping Seoho's shoulder tight while keeping their new friend sandwiched between them, and Seoho finally understood what had been missing._

Seoho woke up alone. It was early, not yet light out but he could see the illuminated numbers on the radio alarm and a strip of low light coming under the bedroom door. Leedo was at the kitchen counter, his laptop open in front of him and a steaming mug of tea in his hand. Seoho could smell coffee, so clearly his soulmate had started the coffee machine for him already. If Seoho had any doubt as to whether Leedo remembered the dream they had shared, his worried expression and pale complexion would have destroyed it.

Seoho didn't speak. He moved behind Leedo, wrapping his arms around him and holding him tight for a second before he moved away and pulled his favorite mug from the pile of dishes they had done together the night before.

Leedo cleared his throat roughly, already sounding tired before he'd even begun to speak. "So, it's unusual, apparently, but not unheard of." It wasn't as if they were going to be talking about anything else that morning.

"How unusual is unusual?" Being different, especially when it came to something as sensitive as soulmates wasn't a good thing. He didn't much fancy ending up as a subject in a medical journal anytime soon.

"One in every 100,000 couples. Around that."

Seoho finished pouring his coffee before asking, "Should that be throuple? Or just trio? 'Cause you and I aren't really a couple. Not like that. Or do you think that's why we're platonic? We're not faulty, it's just there are more than the two of us? Do you think there'll be more? Will we just keep collecting soulmates until we have a soccer team's worth?"

Leedo sighed heavily as he turned on the bar stool to face him. "Should I be slapping you? 'Cause you sound hysterical." He paused when Seoho shot him a reassuring smile. "Is that what you thought? That we were—faulty? Broken somehow?"

Seoho's smile dropped away. "No, I—" There was no point denying it. It's not like Leedo couldn't read him like a book. "I guess I got caught up in the Hollywood idea of soulmates." He made quote marks in the air with his fingers for emphasis. "I do love you. More than anyone. I guess, I just thought maybe there's nothing romantic between us because there's something wrong with me."

"There's nothing wrong with you, you idiot." Leedo levered himself off the stool and had him wrapped in a bear hug before Seoho could begin to protest. "I think the fact you get two soulmates to love just goes to show how special you are."

"I hate how you always manage to say the right thing. You're offensively smooth sometimes, you know that?"

"You might have mentioned it once or twice." Leedo stepped back, holding him at arm's length, smiling and looking oddly relieved.

"I suppose our guest room isn't going to be empty for long," Seoho thought aloud as he nodded and turned away to start making them some breakfast.It was odd how quickly his mind was going to practicalities; if they needed more towels, how they should hold off getting a car until the new guy arrived because he should have a say, how the hell he was going to explain this to his parents. "Good thing he's cute," he joked. "It'll beat looking at your ugly mug."

Seoho expected a comeback but getting nothing, he looked over his shoulder to where Leedo was settling back in front of his laptop. When still nothing came, Seoho made a point of going over and leaning back against the counter next to him with his arms folded in expectation.

Leedo glanced up nervously before settling his eyes back on the screen. He shuffled in his seat but Seoho could happily wait all day if it was going to make him speak. Eventually, Leedo cleared his throat and mumbled, "Was he? Cute, I mean."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Ah." Leedo grimaced and hung his head. "You know how I am with new people. I'm just not—what if he…"

Seoho rolled his eyes, patted Leedo on the head a couple of times until his hand was forcefully batted away and went back to start cooking. "It'll be fine," he said. "You were worried about meeting me and that turned out alright, didn't it?"

"Hmm," Leedo said, not looking over. "Depends. Are you going to burn the bacon again?"

Seoho scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Well, I definitely am going to now, dumbass."

***

He put the sharp pain in his chest after lunch down to the fact he scoffed down the sandwich Leedo had made him that morning too quickly. That and his soulmate always used too much mustard. Except the pain didn't ease off, simple became a dull ache that was more like panic than anything. But he had a basketball class from the local high school to supervise so he powered through and tried not to pay it too much attention until he saw one of the dance teachers standing in the doorway with a concerned expression on his face as the class started to wrap up.

"I put him in the office, " Hwanwoong said as he ushered him over, adding, "He's okay but I thought you might need some privacy," when Seoho started to freak out.

He wasn't surprised that Hwanwoong felt the need to bundle Leedo into the nearest private space. He was pacing around like a madman, running his hands through his hair and generally looking intimidating.

"What is it? What happened?" Seoho didn't try to touch him. It seemed like it might only make things worse.

Leedo's eyes were big and he looked so small when he glanced over, Seoho wanted to laugh at the idea that anyone might find him scary, especially when he said in a voice so small he sounded like a mouse. "I saw him. I saw—him."

Seoho reeled back, hardly able to breathe for a second before he blurted out,"And?"

"And what?"

Seoho blinked at the blank expression on Leedo's face. "What do you mean 'what'? How did you meet him? What's he like? What's his name?" When the blank expression didn't crack, Seoho shook his head. "You didn't speak to him, did you?"

"I—" Leedo swallowed hard. "I just—" Seoho couldn't help laughing even though he knew the sharp slap Leedo gave him on the shoulder was coming. "He just looked so—so delicate. I didn't want to scare him."

"So you just left him, wherever, and came running here?"

" _Yes_!" Leedo said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I don't believe you." Seoho closed his eyes and tipped his head back for a second. "You at least remember the vague area where you left him so we can find him again?"

Thankfully, Leedo nodded. "He was working. At a clothing store across town."

Seoho glanced at the clock on the wall. "I guess we can make it back there before they close for the day. Unless you want to wait until tomorrow?" Leedo shook his head and Seoho started moving. "You know I should make you go in by yourself when we get there."

The look on Leedo's face was so pitiful, he didn't need the half-whispered, "Seoho. Please," to make Seoho feel guilty for even thinking it.

Hwanwoong was sitting at the desk when they came out of the office and didn't even bother looking up from what he was typing to say, "Don't say it. I've told everyone it's a family emergency so you can go. You can make up the hours next week."

Seoho didn't pause as he walked by, bending swiftly to press a smacking kiss against Hwanwoong's cheek. He didn't look behind him to check what Leedo was doing; he figured he would wait at the desk while Seoho ran to the staff locker room, took a quick shower and changed out of his gym gear into the tidy shirt and jeans that he brought with him that morning. Luckily he had planned on meeting Leedo for dinner and had brought the change of clothes with him.

His hair was still a little damp when they got on the bus to take them across town, but by the time they arrived at their destination it was almost dry, mostly due to Seoho shaking with excitement. Neither of them spoke as they traveled. For once they didn't seem to have much to say to each other. It was telling, though, that at one point Leedo reached over and took his hand, threading their fingers together and squeezing tightly until it was time to get up and walk the last block or so to where their soulmate was hopefully waiting.

There were about 15 minutes until the stores were about to close when the two men awkwardly stumbled into the department store. The looks they received from the shop assistants who were obviously hovering near the entrance counting down the seconds to slam the doors closed as soon as the hour hand ticked over, made it pretty clear that they were cutting it fine.

Leedo grabbed Seoho's sleeve and dragged him over to the far side of the store. Seoho knew they were close when Leedo flattened himself against one of the pillars like he was in a spy movie.

"What are you doing?" Seoho asked, trying and failing not to sound exasperated.

Leedo gestured with his head to the counter and when Seoho looked over, he saw who they'd been waiting for. It was obviously the man they had dreamed about, dressed in an oversized white shirt, and blue jeans. His hair was light brown and slightly curly, and his cheeks sparkled as if he was wearing glitter along with the light make up.

"You have to do it," Leedo whispered. "I can't…"

"Yeah, yeah," Seoho grumbled, already straightening his shirt, although he found his hands were shaking. "You better follow me over there though. You're gonna have to speak to him sometime." Seoho wasn't convinced Leedo would, given the short, sharp nod he got in reply.

Leaving him there with a sigh, Seoho screwed up his courage and strode over. Somehow, he was even more nervous than when he'd met Leedo. He was even more so when he'd managed to get to the counter without the man looking up from where he was diligently folding a sweater.

Opening his mouth, about to say…something—he really wasn't sure what—but it didn't matter when the man interrupted him. "You're late," he said, without even looking up.

The brief moment of surprise that left Seoho speechless only lasted a second before he coughed out a laugh. "Maybe you're the one who's late. We've been waiting too, y'know."

It was a little gratifying to hear the indignant squeak as the man raised his head, and the surprised expression that seemed to make his pretty face even more perfect. The man stared at Seoho for a second, seemingly unable to grasp that they were finally standing in front of each other, then bent down, retrieving a bag from under the counter and calling out to another store worker who was arranging a rack of shirts nearby. "My ride's here! See you tomorrow."

Coming around to the front of the counter, he slid his arms around Seoho's waist and held him tightly. His small frame melted into Seoho who couldn't help but sigh at the happiness he could feel radiating from him and wrapped him in as tight a hug as he dared.

When they pulled apart, they were both smiling, although the man's expression became a comical frown when he looked over Seoho's shoulder.

"You," he said, stepping away and stalking toward a sheepish Leedo, who was standing in the middle of the floor with his hands clenched into fists at his side. Neither Leedo nor Seoho were prepared for the new guy to abruptly smack Leedo in the chest when he finally reached him. It sounded loud enough to make Seoho wince and for Leedo to fold in on himself as he took a step back.

"That's for not coming over to meet me earlier." Leedo blustered a bit, clearly grappling to find a good enough excuse, but the new guy wasn't having it. "Don't give me that. I saw you lurking and then running off. You just about gave me a heart attack."

He sounded genuinely cross but when Leedo slowly reached out and tentatively took his hand, his expression softened and he leaned in, letting Leedo wrap himself around his small frame. Only then did Seoho feel something click into place. It was so real, so physical, that he had to put a hand to his chest. The others must have felt it too, as they gave a small sound of surprise, before breaking apart and smiling at each other.

"Well," the new guy cleared his throat. "I don't know about you two but I'm starving," he said like nothing monumental had just happened, then simply sashayed away, only pausing to look over his shoulder for a second when the other two were too stunned to move. "Come on then. We've got a lot to talk about, so we may as well eat."

Seoho didn't even bother to look at Leedo. The two of them simply started after their new soulmate as if he'd just clicked his fingers and brought them to heel.

***

Their soulmate's name was Xion, he was four years younger than Seoho, preferred dogs to cats, hated sports and preferred americano over every other drink on the menu even when he was complaining about how humid it was in the diner. He was bubbly and so bright, Seoho's face hurt from smiling. It was all he could do from his position sitting opposite him to nod and laugh and agree with most everything Xion was talking about, as if they were old friends catching up and every word out of his mouth was fascinating.

"So, then things just became a bit difficult and I really wanted to transfer my course to design but I hate trying new things, y'know? But then I just woke up one morning and was like 'well, change can be good, right?'. And after I talked to my parents about how unhappy I was they said I should a least see if there were any available places, and here I am."

"That's—" Seoho shook his head, not quite sure how to express how excited he felt to know that they had helped Xion make the decision to move closer to them. "That's amazing. When do you start?"

"Oh, in a couple of weeks. The store is letting me work full-time until then, with part-time hours when classes start. Ugh—" Dramatically, putting down his fork, Xion threw his head back for a second. "God, I feel like I've been monopolizing the conversation too much. You shouldn't let me go on like this."

"I like hearing you talk." Seoho smiled, and got a shy smile in return. "You make everything sound like an adventure. But you can ask us anything you want. What would you like to know?"

"Well, first of all," Xion said, leaning conspiratorially over the table and not going on until Seoho did the same. "Does he speak? Ever?"

Seoho shot a glance over to where Leedo was sitting quietly next to him, his hands wrapped around his green tea, his eyes on the table where they had been since the three of them had sat down. He was smiling slightly but his ears were so red Seoho was almost tempted to throw a fire blanket over him.

Seoho shook his head, wanting to laugh. "I'd enjoy the quiet for now, if I were you. He's always like this with new people but once he gets to know you, he'll talk your ear off." Leedo tried to kick him under the table but Seoho just laughed. "He's shy. But he's pretty lovable."

"Shy?" Xion arched one eyebrow. "You ordered his food for him, for god's sake. I'd say that's an understatement."

"I know what he likes!" Seoho didn't mean to sound so defensive, or high pitched, and it didn't help that Leedo snorted out a laugh.

But then Leedo cleared his throat and sat up a little. "I, uh, it's just easier for him to order for us both. Besides, the server here has a thing for him so we get extra fries that way."

To Seoho's surprised, Xion blushed a little but Seoho couldn't tell if it was from finally hearing Leedo's voice or the slip about the waitress. Xion looked between the two of them before he settled his gaze on Leedo. "And you don't mind? Her hitting on him?"

Leedo shrugged one shoulder and said, "uh, extra fries?" like Xion didn't get the importance of fried foods.

Xion looked a little horrified and Seoho suddenly got what he must have been thinking.

"Oh no," he said, throwing up a hand and shaking his head. "We're not—" he felt a little embarrassed but pressed on. "Together. Like that. We're—platonic. We don't…"

The lightbulb was slow to come on but when it dawned on Xion's face Seoho felt weirdly relieved. "Oh. I guess in that case," he smiled sweetly and tapped Seoho's foot with his own under the table. "I'll let you order for me too next time."

It wasn't until later, after the two of them had walked Xion back to campus and his dingy dorm, and they had made it home—already making plans to hire a moving van and mentally arranging their space to accommodate another person—that Seoho thought about how Leedo had been so quiet all evening.

"You do like him though, right?" Seoho asked as he flopped down onto the couch. It was a stupid question because they were undoubtedly soulmates. At least, Seoho knew in his heart that Xion was his, just as he'd known Leedo was. He couldn't differentiate his feelings between the two of them and he had to assume that Leedo felt the same. "I mean, he's pretty great and—"

The way that Leedo turned away from him caught his attention. Not just the fact that he was heading to the kitchen and pulling two beers from the fridge but there was something in the way he was hunched over, avoiding making eye contact, red-eared and blushing all the way the side of his neck—

"Oh my god. You like him." Seoho sat bolt upright, the words punching out of him. "You like him, like him. Oh my god."

Leedo froze, his back still turned. It was only a second but it was all the answer Seoho needed. He didn't say anything else, not until Leedo had come over to join him. He carefully pushed Seoho's cell phone aside to place the bottles on the coffee table before he dropped down onto the couch and bent forward, holding his head in his hands. Seoho decided to give him a minute, taking the time to down half the bottle of beer, then gently patting his soulmate on the back.

Leedo sounded like he was close to tears when he mumbled, "I'm so sorry."

"Why? Isn't this a good thing?"

Leedo sat up and stared at him. "You're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad?"

"I don't know. Because—well, because you and me…"

Seoho reeled back. "Oh for—there is nothing wrong with you and me. I think we've established that. You and me are great. You're my soulmate and I am yours and nothing is going to change that."

"Not even Xion?"

Seoho shook his head. "Only to make things better. If you're worried about me feeling what you're feeling for him, you can forget that. I love him the same way I love you." He paused a second. "Do you think he feels the same way about you that you feel about him?"

Leedo huffed out a laugh. "Well, he squeezed my ass when I hugged him goodbye, so yeah I think so."

Seoho wasn't so restrained and laughed loudly. "Well, he didn't do that to me so I think we all know where we stand. Ah, it's going to be so much fun when he gets here. I miss him already. You think it would be too soon if I called him right now?"

Leedo was clearly about to say something sensible about how late it was and how they all had work in the morning but at that moment Seoho's phone rang, vibrating loudly against the glass table. Neither of them bothered to check who it was before Leedo picked it up and handed it to him. They both knew it could only be one person.

***

It would have been hard to describe how Xion moving into the house—and their lives—made everything better without the word from Seoho's dad had supplied months before. They were 'complete' finally and everything seemed to slot into place so easily, Seoho actually started to wait for the other shoe to drop.

It felt too perfect in a way. They all got along perfectly, didn't feel weird about talking over any issues or decisions that had to be made and found they were all basically on the same page about everything anyway.

They had the same sense of humor, which mostly meant two of them ganging up on the other one and making fun of them about something small until someone stormed out. They had different interests but nothing that the others weren't happy to tolerate. They divided the chores equally, shopped together, slept in the same bed at least twice a week, and generally spent their time laughing and feeling happy.

Seoho's parents were a little shocked when Seoho sat them down to explain everything. Xion's parents were over the moon and just as much fun as their son. Leedo's parents were, as expected, a little less enthusiastic but after a few months seemed to come around to the idea. There weren't many people who had a problem with them being a three instead of a couple. They all treated each other equally and it was fine. For months it was fine. Until it suddenly wasn't.

Seoho didn't know when he started to feel a bit awkward about things. 'Things' being the fact that his soulmates were in a relationship. Nothing was that different as Xion and Leedo became more intimate. They held hands when they were out but he also held hands with them both now and again depending on the situation. Xion kissed his soulmates both goodbye when they parted. And yes, he kissed Seoho on the cheek and Leedo on the lips but it wasn't anything more than that.

It wasn't until Seoho went to get Leedo up one morning as they were going to take a run together and opened the door to his room only to find the two of them curled up together, that he started to wonder whether he was getting in the way. They looked so natural—Xion looking so small with Leedo's naked chest pressed against his back, his heavy arm draped over his chest—Seoho couldn't help but think he was intruding.

It wasn't as if he was jealous. That didn't come into it at all. In fact, his heart felt as if it might burst with happiness when he saw the two of them smile at each other or when he'd come home to find them snuggled on the couch. But increasingly, he started to think that maybe they would prefer it if he wasn't there to see it all the time. Even though he couldn't feel any of those sorts of vibes coming from the two men in his life, he couldn't stop his logical brain from fixating on the idea that him not being there was the only sensible option.

It wasn't in Seoho's nature to talk about things when they bothered him but, of course, after a couple of weeks of him thinking about nothing else, it was inevitable that someone would notice. It was especially hard to hide anything when you had, not one, but two soulmates on your wavelength.

It was his day off and Xion was studying at home when things came to a head. He was just starting to think about lunch when Xion knocked on his open bedroom door.

"You hungry?"

Seoho switched off his game and looked up. "You cooking?"

"I'm making your favorite." Xion beamed.

Seoho pulled an impressed face. "Really. And what have I done to deserve that?"

"You've been moping." The way Xion said it, it wasn't not even a question.

"No, I haven't." Seoho knew arguing was futile but he felt obliged to put up a bit of a struggle.

"Yes, you have." Xion took his hand and started to drag Seoho into the kitchen. His soulmate might have been smaller in size but he made up for it in sheer strength of will. Not that Seoho thought he could ever deny him anything.

He sat himself on the stool at the counter and only sighed a little when Xion pushed a bowl of ice cream in front of him. "This isn't lunch."

"It'll do until the takeout gets here," Xion said, without a hint of shame not caring at all when Seoho rolled his eyes at him for ordering takeout when he could have cooked. But Xion just starting rambling on about his assignment and how much help he had been and how when he'd spoken to his grandparents the day before they were so excited to come to visit next week and all manner of things that Seoho knew were designed to cheer him up and make him feel good about himself.

If anything, though, by the time they had finished the ice cream and more than their fair share of the chicken that arrived just in time to save Seoho from more desserts, he was feeling worse than ever.

"I wish you would tell me," Xion said quietly as he watched Seoho carefully wrap Leedo's portion of chicken and clear the dishes away to the sink. "I hate to see you this miserable. Leedo too. I know he doesn't ever say anything, but you must have seen his frown. He's going to get wrinkles and it'll be your fault."

Seoho huffed out a laugh, more at Xion's tone than the words. "I'm okay. Really. I just have some things to work out."

"You're a horrible liar at the best of times but being that I'm your soulmate, you really think I don't know how you're feeling?"

Seoho might have been able to withstand a couple more minutes of interrogation but when Xion's arms slipped around his waist and his soulmate pressed his body against his back, Seoho's resolve started to crumble. "Please tell me. I just want to make it better."

"I just—" Seoho hung his head, trying to figure out how he could say what he needed to without sounding completely pathetic. Prying Xion's hands away, only as far enough to loosen them, he turned in the circle of his arms. "I was thinking about moving out."

"Moving out," Xion repeated slowly, before taking a step back. "You're moving out?"

Hearing the words aloud was more shocking than it should have been. Not as shocking as the expression on Xion's face. He suddenly looked so young and vulnerable, his eyes wide and doe-like and Seoho realized what Leedo must have seen the first time he laid eyes on him and was too afraid to approach him in case he broke.

"No, no. Just—I'm not sure where I fit right now."

"Fit?"

"Yeah. I guess now you and Leedo are…y'know…together, I don't want to intrude on your privacy or whatever. I thought maybe it might be better for you two if I found somewhere nearby. Maybe." He was breathless by the end of the sentence, having to reach back and grip the edge of the kitchen counter to stop his hands from shaking.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting exactly but when Xion forced his lips into a thin smile and shrugged slightly, he thought his heart might break in two. "Oh. I didn't realize you felt that way. I—uh—I'll do the dishes later if that's okay." Seoho reached out for him as he turned away but Xion easily evaded him. "I just have a bit of a headache. It was probably the ice cream. Can we talk about this later?"

"Yeah. Of course," Seoho said, feeling as if the bottom had fallen out of his world. Part of him wanted to say 'no, stay, I didn't mean it' but he was too afraid to hear his soulmate tell him that actually he'd been thinking the same thing and maybe Seoho should start packing.

When he sloped off to his own room and looked around at the life he had made there—the shelves full of books and pictures of the three of them that kept showing up after Leedo bought Xion his own photo printer, the blind over the window that Leedo had help him hang which was higher on one side than the other as they'd argued about the best way to hold a spirit level and ended up wrestling and laughing and completely messing it up, the bed with three pillows for when the three of them decided to crash in his room for the night—the idea of having to dismantle it all had him flopping face down on the bed and letting his thoughts run wild until he wasn't sure if he was dreaming or awake.

He wasn't sure how long he led there but at some point he heard the front door open and close abruptly and figured Xion must have gone out. That was until his own door burst open. He jumped at the bang it made as the door handle connected with the drywall, only to find Leedo standing in his doorway—his face red, hands balled into fists at his side, his shirt rumpled and his tie hanging loose and crooked around his neck.

"You're home early," was all Seoho could think to croak out. He'd seen Leedo angry before but nothing like this.

"Xionie called me. Half-hysterical because he thinks you hate him."

"Oh my god, what—" Seoho swung his legs down, ready to get to his feet but stopped dead when Leedo held up his hand and took a step forward.

"Oh no. You're not going near him until you tell me what the hell is going on. Are you—are you really leaving us?" Seoho could hardly bear it. Leedo sounded so completely broken, his strong voice nothing but a thready, pitiful whisper as his body slumped.

"No, I—it was just—" Seoho wasn't exactly sure what he had been thinking in that moment. "I just don't really know where I fit now and I thought you guys might want some space—"

"You fit _here_ ," Leedo said earnestly, covering his heart with his hand as he stumbled across the room to stand in front of Seoho. When Leedo fell to his knees at Seoho's feet, tears started to well in Seoho's eyes. "You fit here, with us. We don't want space. We just want you. Don't go," he said, leaning forward and wrapping his arms around Seoho's waist burying his face in Seoho's sweater. "Promise me you won't go."

"Okay," Seoho whispered, hardly able to comprehend how he could have doubted his place for even a second. "Okay. I promise."

***

_Six Months Later_

Seoho had stopped paying attention to the TV a while ago, happier to play on his phone than watch another musical but even when the show ended he still had to suffer through the commercials as he couldn't reach the remote. He was content to lie out on the couch and be Xion's personal pillow but now his soulmate was fast asleep, he didn't dare move and disturb him. The poor kid looked so peaceful and really did need the rest.

When the front door opened quietly and Leedo appeared, he looked happy but tired. He'd been out with some friends from work, celebrating a birthday without them. They were invited but as Seoho had been scheduled for a later shift and Xion had made some excuse not to go so they had the evening to themselves instead and no one had any complaints about that. Just because the three of them were soulmates didn't mean they had to spend every moment together so days like this weren't unusual. Still, it felt good to be able to end their day all in the same room.

"How was it?" Seoho asked, looking back down at his phone.

"Rowdy." Leedo quietly placed his car keys in the bowl on the side table and shucked off his jacket. "I'm glad I had the excuse of driving. There are going to be some serious hangovers tomorrow."

"I'm sure the kids won't notice." Seoho smiled, mostly as he was still amazed that he never knew teachers were such party animals until he started going out with Leedo's colleagues.

"There'll be a lot of videos shown in the morning lessons, so even if they do, they won't care. Hey," Leedo said softly as he touched Seoho's foot to get his attention. "I had a call from an old friend earlier. Would you mind if we had a someone come and stay for a few days next month?"

Seoho shrugged the best he could without waking Xion. "It's fine with me."

"Cool. I'll let him know in the morning." Leedo yawned. "I'm wiped. You need a hand getting him to bed?"

Xion snuffled against Seoho's chest, burying his face deeper against his neck. Seoho huffed out a laugh and shook his head. "No, I can take him. Why don't you get cleaned up and I'll—" he gestured vaguely to the room that had once been Leedo's alone but hadn't been that in a long time.

It took a minute or so to get to his feet, mostly as he was trying his best not to wake Xion. He'd had a busy few weeks and since the last of his assignments had been handed in, all he wanted to do was sleep. Neither Seoho or Leedo could blame him, especially being that they were his favorite place to nap. This wasn't the first time Seoho had scooped him up and carried him bridal style to somewhere he could properly rest, but he thought idly that maybe he should put in a bit more time in the gym after hours if this was going to become a habit.

Thankfully, Leedo had pulled back the covers before he'd disappeared into the en-suite, and by the time he was coming back out, his face still slightly damp, in a loose Tshirt and sweat pants, Seoho had finished tucking Xion in and was turning to leave.

"You not staying?"

Seoho shrugged. "I can go." Leedo rolled his eyes sand huffed. Seoho had to stifle a giggle. "Or I can stay. Just no funny business, okay?"

"You're the comedian around here. Besides—" Leedo gestured with both hands at Xion, his mouth hanging open, making tiny snorts as he started to drool.

"Great." Seoho took off his glasses and threw his sweater on the chair, before getting in on his side of the bed. "You can both keep me awake all night with the snoring."

"Shut up." Leedo sat down on the other side of Xion and double checked the alarm on his phone before taking off his glasses. "Like you're not gonna be yelling all night."

Seoho, arranged his pillow and settled down, waiting until Leedo turned out the light and did the same, before he asked, "So. Tell me about this friend."

***

The friend's name was Ravn. He was working as a music tech somewhere on the east coast but was in town for a couple of days for a job interview. He and Leedo had known each other in college and had been good enough friends that they had kept touch once they'd gone their separate ways. He was a couple of years older than them, old enough to be almost certain he had no soulmate. He was tall and willowy, a strange mixture of shy and confident that made Seoho's head spin, and was one of the most beautiful men Seoho had ever seen.

Xion's fingers slipped under his chin and lifted his jaw shut for about the tenth time that evening, as he leaned down to whisper in Seoho's ear, "You look like a haddock when you do that. And stop staring. You could at least pretend to play hard to get."

Seoho slapped his hand away, grateful that Leedo and Ravn were in deep conversation on the other side of the room going through Leedo's Spotify playlists as if they were mapping the genome or something. "I'm not staring. Or a haddock. I don't know what you're talking about?"

"Oh sweetie," Xion whispered with a smile, kissing him lightly on the cheek as he squeezed in next to him on the couch. "A blind man could see how much you like him. And he likes you too. Just in case you were in any doubt."

"Really?" Seoho couldn't help but sound hopeful, although he never got a reply as suddenly Leedo was leading Ravn back to the other couch, with a frown on his face. "What are you two conspiring about?"

"Nothing," Xion said, brightly, bouncing up and grabbing Leedo's hand before Seoho could stop him. Dragging his soulmate to the other couch and flopping down, forced Ravn to take Xion's vacant place next to Seoho. "Just talking about that new bar in town. They play nothing but soul music. Seoho loves it but I'm still not convinced."

"You like soul?" Ravn sounded pleasantly surprised and when Seoho turned to answer him the words got stuck in his throat for a moment. The way Ravn was looking at him had the rest of the room fading away until it felt as if there was nothing in the world but them. Well. Them and his two soulmates who started whispering angrily to each other.

"Yeah. I mean, I got into it a few years back. The bar is cool. They have live acts on the weekends. I've tried to drag these two along but it's not really their thing."

The smile on Ravn's face spread as his lips parted slightly and Seoho could feel his stupid face doing the same. It was ridiculous how much he liked the man already, and if Ravn kept looking at him like that, it was going to be hard to stop.

"Would—we should go. Together."

There was that shy look again, the one that seemed to contradict Ravn's confident words and Seoho was smitten. Before he knew what he was doing, he was on his feet. "Okay."

"Oh." Ravn looked shocked but kind of amused. "I didn't mean—I meant sometime."

"No time like the present." Seoho shrugged and when Ravn laughed and shook his head, he was worried for a second he'd said the wrong thing, before Ravn got to his feet.

"Okay then."

"Hey!" They both looked down to see Leedo's disgruntled face. "You can't just take him and—"

Xion's slap on the arm interrupted him. "Yes, he can. Go. Have fun," he added waving the two of them away.

Leedo's expression seemed to cycle through confused-friend to man-who-was-angry-but-didn't-know-why, before finally settling on dad-whose-daughter-was-going-on-her-first-date. "Well, just—make sure you get him home in one piece, okay?"

Seoho laughed as he pulled on his shoes and his coat, unsure of who Leedo was more worried about. "Sure thing. Don't wait up!"

If there was a reply, it was lost when he slammed the front door behind him with a smile on his face and Ravn's hand on the small of his back.

"They're definitely going to wait up, aren't they?" Ravn said, his lilting voice almost musical with laughter as they walked to the car.

"Definitely," Seoho replied. "You ready?"

"Yes," Ravn said, before he looked serious for a second. "Are you?"

Seoho didn't even have to think about it. "Oh yeah. Some things are just meant to be, right?"

Turns out, they were.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! ❤️ Leave a kudos if you read and a comment if you liked!
> 
> (Honestly, this ended up being three times as long as I thought it would, thank you for making it through)
> 
> A massive thank you to Domi for the last minute beta. You're an angel ❤️
> 
>  _This work is intended for the private enjoyment of the reader. I do not give permission to this work being read aloud and/or shared with the press, or anyone working with Oneus, including but not limited to member, crew, writers, or producers. I also do not give permission share this work on third-party websites such as Goodreads, which I believe is a resource intended for published works outside of fandom. I only own what I own and don't claim to own anything that belongs to rbw or the copyright holders of anything mentioned in this original story._ ❤️


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